I actually just bought a copy of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory", I liked it so much! I didn't really like the other version quite as much, but I think it had to do with how I thought of the story in my mind rather than any fault of the film - it just didn't agree with what I thought it should be. I haven't seen it in years though - I should rent it to see if I still feel the same way. We just saw "Dogville" (with Nicole Kidman). It had a really slow start (we almost turned it off), but then it got really twisted and interesting. At the end we just kind of sat there stunned for a minute going "holy cow that was good!" It was not a happy ever after movie, it was actually kind of shockingly grim and disturbing, but it was really well done! It's also kind of an experiment in movie techniques - it resembles more of a play than a movie. The buildings are only lines on the ground with minimal props to indicate their function and dimension. It's really distracting at first, then you realize that real buildings and scenery would only distract you from the acting and story. If you hate anything resembling an art film then don't watch this - but if you like different things then give it a try (just remember it's slow to start). We also saw "Transporter 2". It was ok. Not great, but half decent for a hollywood action fluff movie. The first one was better. We now have a new movie at the top of our 'worst movie ever' list - "Serenity". Only a couple of good actors in the movie, a difficult to follow, badly written script, and completely ridiculous characters. This movie apparently has a huge fan following because it's based on some TV show. Those TV show fans all think it's the greatest movie ever, but I don't like or watch TV, so I really, really, really don't "get it" :-) I'll admit to being a big sci-fi geek, and that there are a lot of bad Sci-fi movies, but this was beyond bad for a genre with a lot of bad movies! BP

Julie my friend was telling me on the Final Destination 3 DVD you can pick who dies or something like that. I haven't seen the third one yet, but I liked the first two. I watched Evil Dead again saturday night. That's a classic. The next movie I am awaiting to come to the theater is Spider-Man 3. I have seen one preview and it looked good. I'm glad that Sam Raimi was picked as the director. He has stuck close to the original story line. Which is something a lot of directors don't usually do. Also Bruce Campbell might have a more promonent role in this one as a villian. Since I'm on film adaptations I always thought it would be cool if the Dragonlance Chronicals (War of the Lance) were made into movies. Of course if it was me I would do 9 movies with the Meeting of the Sextet leading up to the War of the Lance. That would be asking a lot though, so I would settle for The Chronicals. oH someone could do The Legand of Huma, or just about any of the great DL books. Any other Dragonlance fans out there? Tim

Hi Nomorebluekitchen, Wow, have you had a rough time lately, that whole mess sucks. These construction problems appear to be everywhere and it makes me wonder why they aren't more regulated! I have a good friend who (at the same time she was going through a messy divorce) had one nightmare after another with an addition she did to help accomodate three kids she was adopting to add to her own four! She had the contractor from h*ll, who didn't know what he was doing especially in regards to code. He too couldn't tell time and did the opposite of whatever he promised. Everyday it was something new, in the end, he made several errors on the build that cost her a small fortune to correct and it pushed her way over budget. Eventually, she had enough and fired him but not before he had most of her money. To add to the misery, by that time this whole mess in the housing market had taken hold, and she couldn't get any more financing to finish the project with a new contractor. It's been a couple of years now but she, her 7 kids and her (new) husband have been able to finish most of the house on their own and yes...even their 9 year old learned how to help lay floors! I learned from her, that when it comes to people in this industry, do as much as possible on your own, trust is a commodity that's earned and even then, watch 'em like a hawk. Isn't there a way we can request a forum to be started that can be dedicated for these types of issues? Somewhere where members can go to convey positive and negative issues they've experienced with specific companies they're working with. I think it would be an invaluable resource for members of the forum, don't you? In the meantime, I hope this turns around for you, and you're able to come out of it ok. -- Lukki

Jenn, save a seat next to you for ME! I cry at everything remotely sad, sentimental, very sweet during movies and on TV. I cried when Oprah gave everybody in the audience her "favorite things" one holiday season when she filmed in Macon, Georgia, and included in that was a new fridge. Not just any fridge--an LG HDTV stainless fridge with weather and info center (incl. recipes that come up on the HDTV screen on the fridge). I can't even see it on the LG website--maybe they couldn't manufacture it in the end, or stopped making it, or it's not something they advertise! Anyway, the camera person scanning the audience stopped at an older woman, who you pretty much knew had never even imagined she could ever have something so nice. Huge waterworks! I think I'll never watch Toy Story 3--just thinking about the theme of the boy leaving for college and his toys feeling left behind (don't tell me that everything turns out OK--it doesn't matter!) is making my eyes water. I could barely get through Marley. I know I would've cried in the theater, but I watched it on DVD. During the first couple of months after my dog died. Stupid me. Big, stupid blubbery me. It was a bit therapeutic to get more of my tears out, tho.